Chipola ousts Tallahassee, stays alive at state juco tournament

By Brad Milner | News Herald Writer

Published: Sunday, May 12, 2013 at 08:55 PM.

Chipola is one of four teams alive at the tournament, which continues through Tuesday. State College of Florida ousted Hillsborough 12-6 earlier Sunday. State College of Florida (43-12) awaits the loser of Palm Beach-Seminole Monday at noon.

LAKELAND — Chipola’s state tournament life was in the balance Sunday and the Indians responded in a big way.

Chipola rapped out 16 hits in seven innings and eliminated Tallahassee 10-2 in a run-rule victory in the FCSAA Gulf District/NJCAA Region 8 losers’ bracket. The Indians (37-20) advanced to play the winner of Palm Beach-Seminole Monday at 3 p.m. CDT. The top-ranked and Panhandle Conference champion Eagles (46-10) finished the season after three games in the double-elimination event.

Neiker Navarro was 4 for 4 with three runs scored and Christian Correa, Daniel Mars and Cameron Gibson each had three hits for Chipola. Correa scored four runs, Gibson had a team-high four RBIs and Mars drove in three.

Chipola scored three runs in each of the fourth and seventh innings and plated two in the sixth to turn a 2-2 game into a rout. Mars’ two-run double keyed the fourth. Gibson’s two-run single in the seventh ended the game with two outs.

Tyler York singled in Anthony Torres in the first to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Mars tripled and was plated by an Ian Rice double to tie the game 1-1 in the first. Gibson singled in Correa in the second for a 2-1 Chipola advantage before York doubled home Chad Mabini in the third.

Tallahassee would only amass three hits in the final four innings against Chipola starter and winner Taylor Lewis, who also had four strikeouts and four walks. York and Trent Higginbothem contributed two hits apiece for the Eagles, who scored two or fewer runs for the second time in the tournament.

Losing pitcher Patrick Riley gave up nine hits and five runs with two strikeouts and no walks in three innings. Relievers Nick Baker and Victor Cole, the latter the Panhandle's closer of the year, couldn’t stop the momentum and combined to yield five runs on seven hits.

Chipola is one of four teams alive at the tournament, which continues through Tuesday. State College of Florida ousted Hillsborough 12-6 earlier Sunday. State College of Florida (43-12) awaits the loser of Palm Beach-Seminole Monday at noon.